Association between assisted reproductive technology and advanced retinopathy of prematurity

Purpose: To investigate the associations between assisted reproductive technology (ART) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requiring treatment. Methods: Retrospective analyses of inborn preterm infants screened for severe ROP at the Weill Cornell Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital by single factor logistic regression and multifactor models. Results: Of 399 ethnically diverse infants, 253 were conceived naturally and 146 by ART. Eight (3.16%) patients conceived naturally, and 11 (7.53%) with ART required laser treatment. In multifactor analyses, significant risks for severe ROP requiring treatment included both gestational age (odds ratio [OR] 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23-0.52; P < 0.001) and ART ([OR] 4.70; [CI], 1.52-4.57; P = 0.007). Conclusions: ART is associated with severe ROP requiring treatment in this cohort. This is the first report that demonstrates a statistically significant association between ART and severe ROP requiring treatment in infants in the US.